Latest news with #BrianMcNamara
CNBC
05-05-2025
- Business
- CNBC
Made in the USA: This domestic manufacturer could benefit from tariffs, Canaccord Genuity says
With most if its manufacturing done in the United States, Worthington Enterprises is a tariff-proof stock that can benefit from record-high duties slapped on imported goods, according to one Wall Street analyst. Shares in the Columbus, Ohio-based company that makes dozens of consumer and industrial products, from Coleman propane tanks to acoustic ceiling systems, are already 37% higher in 2025. "We believe this stock is primed for outperformance, being a hidden gem that many investors are generally unaware of since its December 2023 separation from its Steel business, Worthington Steel," Canaccord Genuity analyst Brian McNamara wrote in a Sunday note. The investment bank upgraded Worthington to buy from hold, and raised its price target by 24%, to $67 per share from $54. Canaccord's forecast implies roughly 23% upside from Friday's $51.99 close. McNamara said a recent meeting with company executives left him more optimistic, given Worthington's "advantageous" manufacturing position. WOR YTD mountain Worthington Enterprises stock in 2025. "The wide-ranging conversations demonstrated a humble, yet confident management team that believes it is well positioned with predominant domestic manufacturing in a tariff-riddled environment," the analyst said. McNamara noted that Worthington is the sole domestic manufacturer of gas grill cylinders and that peers have moved manufacturing overseas, giving the company a leg up as tariffs push higher. At the same time, McNamara estimated that only $60 million to $80 million of Worthington's annual revenue comes from products sourced from China. Estimated sales in the fiscal year ending May 31 are pegged to come in at $1.137 billion, according to analyst polled by FactSet. "Some relatively low-priced components and small valves are affected by China tariffs, but management noted they have good relationships, which will help with mitigation efforts," McNamara said. "The most significant component is steel, which WOR purchases domestically." The analyst also forecast that if competitors raise prices in response to tariffs, Worthington won't follow suit or not to the same extent. "If tariff-exposed competitors raise prices, we expect WOR to take less price and prioritize [market] share gains," McNamara wrote.
Telegraph
21-03-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
Sensodyne-maker axes diversity targets from bonuses
Haleon is to axe diversity targets from its executive bonus scheme in the latest sign that UK businesses are rowing back on DEI. The Sensodyne-maker has confirmed that its chief executive and chief financial officer will no longer have to meet gender representation targets to maximise their pay. The diversity targets had formed part of the company's share scheme, which accounts for a significant portion of executive remuneration. Last year, Brian McNamara, the company's chief executive, secured share payouts worth £6m, taking his total pay package for the year to £9m. Under the 2022-2024 share plan, executives were set targets for women to hold at least 44.5pc of leadership roles, which the company subsequently met. However, Haleon – which was split out from GSK in 2022 – has now removed the gender diversity target for the coming year to 'ensure continued compliance with requirements in countries in which we operate'. It follows a pushback from the US government over corporate diversity initiatives, spearheaded by Donald Trump since coming to power in January. The move comes just weeks after GSK, which counts the US government as one of its largest customers, also revealed it was watering down diversity targets for its executive bonus scheme. The London-listed drugmaker said it was putting diversity activities on pause to review them, adding: 'We have to ensure we remain compliant with the law in the countries in which we operate, including the US. We are consulting and talking to our people about all of this.' Mr Trump has sought to ban federal agencies and contractors from setting diversity, equality and inclusion (DEI) targets, while he has also signed into law new rules that require companies to scrap targets. This shift has already filtered through to the UK, with a recent poll of 500 City executives showing that one in three bosses now believe DEI has gone too far. Figures compiled for The Telegraph by job site Adzuna last month revealed that hiring for DEI roles has fallen by a third since last year.
The Independent
19-03-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Pfizer offloads final shares in Sensodyne maker Haleon
US pharmaceutical firm Pfizer has sold off its remaining stake in Sensodyne and Panadol maker Haleon for around £2.5 billion. Haleon has agreed to buy back 44 million shares from Pfizer for £3.85 a share – totalling about £170 million – as part of the deal, with the remaining 618 million shares being sold to institutional investors. It sees Pfizer exit its investment in the UK consumer healthcare firm after the US group said in 2023 that it planned to reduce its holding gradually. Haleon was formed in 2019 by the merger of the consumer healthcare businesses of British pharmaceutical group GSK and US rival Pfizer, sitting as a joint venture within GSK. It was then spun out of GSK as a standalone business and listed on the London Stock Exchange in July 2022. GSK initially retained a 12.9% stake in Haleon after the flotation, but offloaded its holding completely in May 2024 when it sold its last remaining shares for £1.2 billion. Pfizer had been left with a 7.3% stake in Haleon until the remaining stake sale. BlackRock Investment Management now becomes Haleon's biggest shareholder, with a stake of more than 5% following the share sale by Pfizer. Haleon said the move to buy shares from Pfizer will make up some of its planned £500 million in share buybacks this year, which were announced on February 27. Brian McNamara, chief executive of Haleon, said: 'Today's transaction is an important milestone for the business and marks Pfizer fully exiting its stake in Haleon, having been at 32% at the time of demerger in July 2022. 'Our participation in the offering is consistent with our disciplined capital allocation priorities, and supports our commitment to deliver attractive returns for shareholders, underpinned by a strong investment grade balance sheet. 'Nearly three years on from demerger, Haleon is in a position of strength and is well placed to capitalise on the significant opportunities ahead.'
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Pfizer Set to Raise $3.3 Billion in Final Haleon Stake Sale
(Bloomberg) -- Pfizer Inc. is poised to raise about £2.55 billion ($3.3 billion) through the sale of its remaining 7.3% stake in Haleon Plc, culminating a years-long separation from the maker of Sensodyne toothpaste. ICE Eyes Massive California Tent Facility Amid Space Constraints How Britain's Most Bike-Friendly New Town Got Built The Dark Prophet of Car-Clogged Cities Washington, DC, Region Braces for 'Devastating' Cuts from Congress NYC Plans for Flood Protection Without Federal Funds The pharmaceutical giant is offering about 618 million shares through a placement with investors, according to terms seen by Bloomberg. The shares are likely to price at £3.85 apiece — a 1.6% discount to Haleon's closing price — with investor demand exceeding the size of the offering by multiple times, the terms showed. Pfizer will also sell around £170 million worth of shares back to Haleon in an off-market share repurchase transaction. Haleon was formed in 2022 from a combination of GSK Plc and Pfizer's consumer-health units. American depositary receipts for the consumer health company fell as much as 2.9% on the stake sale news, before erasing the drop. Pfizer has been trimming down its stake in Haleon, most recently raising £2.5 billion through a block trade in January. The New York-based company has said for years that it planned to exit the Haleon stake. Meanwhile, GSK had previously sold down its holdings of Haleon, completing its separation from the consumer health company last year. Haleon posted strong results for the fourth quarter of 2024 at its most recent earnings, although it expects improvements this year to be weighted toward the second half. While some other European companies have expressed alarm at the prospect of tariffs implemented by the US, Haleon has downplayed the impact, with Chief Executive Officer Brian McNamara saying the company has relatively low exposure. The latest share sale comes amid a flurry of block trades in European stocks, as volatility and high stock prices have prompted shareholders to monetize often long-held positions. Bank of America Corp., Citigroup Inc. and Goldman Sachs Group Inc. are leading the stock sale. (Updates with latest price guidance) Tesla's Gamble on MAGA Customers Won't Work The Real Reason Trump Is Pushing 'Buy American' The Future of Higher Ed Is in Austin Snap CEO Evan Spiegel Bets Meta Can't Copy High-Tech Glasses A US Drone Maker Tries to Take Back the Country's Skies ©2025 Bloomberg L.P.
Reuters
27-02-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Sensodyne maker Haleon says 2025 revenue growth skewed to second half
Summary Companies 2025 organic revenue expected to grow 4% to 6% U.S. tariffs impact expected to be 'relatively low' - CEO CEO confident of meeting outlook, even with any tariff hit Feb 27 (Reuters) - British consumer healthcare group Haleon (HLN.L), opens new tab on Thursday said 2025 revenue and profit growth would be weighted to the second half of the year, overshadowing a strong end to 2024 and sending its shares down by more than 3%. The company, which makes Sensodyne toothpaste, ENO antacids and Centrum multivitamins, projected organic revenue would grow between 4% and 6% for the year, compared with a company-compiled consensus of 5.3%. "We are well positioned to drive organic revenue growth within our medium-term guidance range, with strong organic profit growth in 2025," CEO Brian McNamara said. Slowing demand for cold and cough medicines after the pandemic has weighed on consumer healthcare companies, and Haleon is working on clearing stocks of those products which typically sell more in the colder months. Its shares were down 2.9% at 384 pence by 1155 GMT. The stock had gained around 20% since its spin-off from GSK (GSK.L), opens new tab in 2022. "The stock has moved quite a way since it floated, so the reaction is understandable, but longer term this remains a good quality business with good brands," Quilter Cheviot's Chris Beckett said. A rising consumer focus on wellness is boosting sales at Haleon's multivitamins and oral hygiene products divisions, where revenues rose by 7.6% and 9.6%, respectively, on an organic basis. Still, companies globally are scrambling to adapt to growing trade tensions after the U.S. administration imposed a raft of tariffs on imports from China, Mexico and Canada, and soon possibly from the European Union. Any potential impact on Haleon is expected to be "relatively low", and the company is monitoring the situation and working on potential mitigations, CEO McNamara told Reuters. "We still believe we can deliver on (2025) guidance, even if there is an impact from tariffs." He added that most of Haleon's U.S. supplies were produced domestically, and that the company had "very little to no" exposure to China and Mexico, but had a plant in Montreal and some raw materials were sourced from outside the U.S. North America accounted for about 36% of Haleon's 2024 revenue, which along with adjusted operating profit, was in line with expectations.
